G R E EN HERON ENGINEERING LLC

Transcription

1 G R E EN HERON ENGINEERING LLC RT-21 DIGITAL ROTOR CONTROLLER USER GUIDE Document Revision 3.5 (7/1/2014) S/N (PCB Rev 2.x) (v3) S/N (PCB Rev 3.x) Includes features through Software Revision 1.07 (v3) Includes features through Software Revision 3.08

2 2014Green Heron Engineering LLC 1107 Salt Road, Webster, NY Phone RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERFERENCE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/tv technician for help. You may also find helpful the following booklet, prepared by the FCC: "How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems." This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C Changes and Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer or registrant of this equipment can void your authority to operate this equipment under Federal Communications Commissions rules. NOTICE The RT-21 may not be certified or recommended by some rotor manufacturers for use with their products. Use of this device may void the warranty of these devices and Green Heron Engineering LLC is not responsible for any damage, direct or incidental, that might occur through such use. Green Heron Engineering reserves the right to make changes for product improvement or manufacturing, without notice or any obligation to update units already sold. WARRANTY This product is warranted to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for 1 year. We will repair or replace, at our option, any equipment proven to be defective within the warranty period. All warranty work is F.O.B. Webster, NY, USA. This warranty is exclusive of abuse, misuse, accidental damage, acts of God or consequential damages, etc. Green Heron Engineering LLC liability shall not exceed the original purchase price of the equipment. TRADEMARKS M2 Orion is a trademark of M2 Antenna Systems, Inc. TIC RingRotor is a registered trademark of TIC General, Inc. Hy-Gain is a trademark of Hy-Gain Corporation Yaesu is a trademark of Yaesu/Vertex Standard USA All other products, company names, brand names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This unit is normally supplied with a 3 Amp 5x20 mm fuse in the rear panel fuse holder. If it is necessary, replace only with: 115 VAC 3 amp max 230 VAC 2 amp max

3 Table of Contents RT-21 VERSION 3 (V3)... III 1.0 QUICK START GUIDE JUMPERS AND SETTINGS SET THE OFFSET VALUE CONNECT THE RT-21 TO YOUR ROTOR CALIBRATE YOUR ROTOR FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & DISPLAY FRONT PANEL CONTROLS FRONT PANEL DISPLAY SETUP MODE OPTION PARAMETER SETTING OTHER PARAMETERS CALIBRATION POTENTIOMETER SYSTEMS PULSE COUNTER SYSTEMS OPERATING HINTS & ADVANCED FEATURES OPERATING HINTS COMPUTER CONTROL OF RT CALIBRATION OF SIDEARM INSTALLATION MASTER/SLAVE (M/S) MODE M/C AND S/C MODES DEBUG MODE FIRMWARE UPDATES (SEE PAGE III FOR RT-21 V3 INFORMATION) CHANGING THE VANITY DISPLAY, MOTION TIMEOUT, SECURITY LOCK ALTERNATE OFFSETS (FIRMWARE 1.6 AND LATER) ADVANCED OPTIONS (FIRMWARE 1.6 AND LATER) APPENDIX A.1 - TIC RINGROTOR APPENDIX A.2 ORION 2300 (ORIGINAL) APPENDIX A.3 ORION 2800 (AC) APPENDIX A.4 ORION 2800 DC APPENDIX A.5 CREATE RC5 SERIES APPENDIX A.6 HY-GAIN HAMX, T 2 X APPENDIX A.7 YAESU G-800, G-1000, G-2700, G-2800 ALL VERSIONS APPENDIX A.8 - SPID APPENDIX A.9 - HY-GAIN HDR APPENDIX A.10 ALLIANCE HD APPENDIX A.11 ROTOR DOCTOR RD APPENDIX A.12 YAESU G-450A/650A, G450XL, G-400, G-400R (AC MOTOR) APPENDIX A.13 PROSISTEL D APPENDIX A.14 PROSISTEL PRO SERIES APPENDIX A.15 DIAWA MR-750/MR APPENDIX B UNIVERSAL ROTOR SETUP INFORMATION APPENDIX C EXTERNAL RELAY CONTROL APPENDIX D RT-21 SCHEMATIC APPENDIX E ERROR MESSAGES APPENDIX F COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL... 43

4 V E R S I O N 3 I N F 0 R M A T I O N : Note: RT-21 Version 3 (v3) These units began shipping in October They differ slightly from earlier units as described here, and in a few other places in the manual. Identification: Serial Number is 2000 and higher v3 on the Serial Number Label RT-21 Rev 3.0 (or higher) on the main PCB RT-21 v3 units use a new PIC main CPU chip that must use different download firmware than previous units. Download firmware is always in a.hex file and it has a version number that begins with 3 in the file name for firmware compatible with these units. The firmware for the earlier units has a version number that begins with a 1. The first release of this firmware for v3 RT-21 units is version This corresponds to the same functionality that is in version 1.07 of the previous units. If you should accidentally load the wrong firmware into an RT-21, the controller will NOT operate. You will see a few seconds of garbage characters on the display, but then nothing else will happen. You can still go back and download the correct software into the controller to restore operation.. What is Different in v3: This board revision adds a hardware FTDI USB chip to offload and perform all USB operations independently of the main CPU chip software. This improves USB performance, primarily in the area of connects and disconnects and will allow new versions of Windows and PC hardware to be more quickly supported without the need for new software in the RT-21. The USB Driver used for the FTDI chip will now load in two steps. The correct drivers are part of windows updates. In most cases, the correct driver is already installed with your operating system and it will automatically find and setup for you when you plug in the RT-21 for the first time. Earlier versions of XP may require you to allow connection to internet to search Windows updates for the driver. The FTDI Driver is also on our website. Device Manager will now refer to the RT-21 as a USB Serial Port. The COM number assigned will remain the same for that specific RT-21 regardless of what USB port you plug it into in the future. A 2 nd RT-21 will get a new COM number if installed later. It is now possible to download new RT-21 firmware using the USB port where previously, it was only possible on the RS232 port. In order to download on USB, temporarily short the two PCB holes shown in the diagram here. After the download, remove this short to restore the separate USB and RS-232 port features iii

5 R T 2 1 Q U I C K S T A R T G U I D E Section QUICK START GUIDE IMPORTANT - Please Read This! This Section of the manual will assist you in getting your new controller running as fast as possible. Everything you need to know to get your unit setup and running is contained in this QUICK START GUIDE along with the single page in the APPENDIX A that corresponds to your particular rotator. The current version of SETUP Utility program can be found on our website and can be used to adjust performance settings, test your rotator, and calibrate it. If Green Heron Engineering DID NOT configure your controller OR you are changing to a different type of rotor perform the steps in Section 1.1 Jumpers and Settings (page 2) If Green Heron Engineering configured your controller for your rotor type, skip the steps in Section 1.1. They have been completed for you. NOTE: We recommend the use the SETUP Utility (available under the SUPPORT tab on our website), this makes all settings and controls visible at one time and speeds installation and calibration. However, most installations may be accomplished using just the front Panel. NOTE: If you need to start over (Reset back to factory settings), press and hold CANCEL + CCW + CW (lead slightly with CANCEL) until the display indicates RESET EE. (Or use SETUP Utility) Next perform the following steps as defined in this guide. Section 1.2 Set the Offset Value (page 4) Set your OFFSET (only if you want to change from the default setting of North Center.) Section 1.3 Connect the RT-21 to Your Rotor (page 5) Hook your rotor to the rear terminal strip per the instructions for your rotor type. Section 1.4 Calibrate Your Rotor (page 5) HAMx and T2X rotators (Yaesu beginning at version 3.08) have no calibration requirements for most installations. Orion 2800 rotators have Auto-Cal features from SETUP Utility, and also from the front panel beginning in If your rotor does not have mechanical limits, DO NOT attempt rotation other than with the CW and CCW pushbuttons before calibration has been completed, and the soft limits are proven to be working as desired. 1

6 R T 2 1 Q U I C K S T A R T G U I D E The remainder of the manual (After the Quick Start) will assist you in getting the most out of your controller by optimizing the various options, using the computer interface, or setting up sophisticated Master/Slave, or Master/Counter-rotate systems. Feel free to contact us with any questions or clarifications OR- for any custom application you may have. If your rotator is not listed, and you wish assistance using the information contained in this manual, please contact us and we will be glad to assist. TERMINOLOGY The following terms may be unfamiliar to new users of the RT-21 and are defined here for clarity. It is important to understand their meanings, as they will be used frequently during configuration and setup tasks: TERM Endpoints Over-Travel Point-and-shoot Soft Limits Ramp-up/Ramp-down Offset DEFINITION The counter-clockwise (CCW) and clockwise (CW) endpoints refer to the ends of rotation that would normally occur with a system that rotates exactly 360 degrees. Note that CCW and CW endpoint headings are the same, but at opposite ends of a 360-degree arc (with the center-ofrotation being 180 degrees from either endpoint). Rotation beyond the normal endpoints of 360 degrees. This action refers to setting a direction with the front panel Heading Knob and allowing the RT-21 to execute this move automatically, stopping at the selected heading. These are travel limits that can be programmed into the RT-21. The effect is similar to the mechanical limits built into many Rotors, but it is achieved inside the controller and is fully programmable to allow overtravel (if supported by the rotor) or to reduce travel for installations requiring limiting the rotation to less than 360 degrees (a sidearm antenna mount, for example). If a rotator does not have mechanical limit switches, this feature will avoid turning the rotator past a desired range. This RT-21 feature provides gradual startup and shutdown of rotor power to reduce stress on towers, antennas and rotors. This is achieved by pulse-width-modulating the operating voltage for the rotor. Ramp-up is utilized for all starts, and ramp-down is used on all stops. (The ramp down is abbreviated for manual button releases, CANCEL or computer stop commands) This value sets the desired CCW Endpoint which then indirectly sets the Center of Rotation. The number of Offset degrees is the number to add from 0 (North) in order to get the CCW endpoint. A value of 180 is a North Center, a value of 0 is a South Center. NOTE: The compass headings of 360 and 0 degrees refer to the same direction. There are cases where the SETUP display may read 360 degrees instead of 0, but it refers to the same compass direction of North. During normal operation, the heading display will always display within the range of 0 to degrees. 2

7 R T 2 1 Q U I C K S T A R T G U I D E 1.1 JUMPERS and SETTINGS (YOU MAY SKIP to paragraph 1.2 ONLY if we ve pre-configured your unit) RT-21 Hardware Configuration (Internal Jumpers and Wiring Options) 1. Ensure that the power cable is disconnected from the rear panel of the RT Remove the twelve Phillips head screws securing the top cover and remove the cover. 3. Using the appendix A for your rotor, familiarize yourself with main PC board as shown in Figure 1. Note the locations of the various wire connections and jumpers. Figure 1 - RT-21 PC Board Layout Locations of Configuration Jumpers 4. Select your Motor Type (AC or DC) with J10, J12, and J14 as follows: Confirm or move the jumper plug in J10 with a needle-nose pliers. Confirm or move a bus wire on the 3/2 term screw connector at J12 and J Select your Transformer Tap connections as follows: Connect the two transformer wires to J9 as indicated. (ONLY CONNECT TWO) You may need to strip a wire if it was previously not connected. Ensure the wire nuts on the unused wires are secure. 6. Select Your Position Feedback Type: Confirm or move the jumper plugs in J5, J6 and J16 with a needle nose pliers. 7. Reinstall the top cover of the RT-21, securing it with the screws removed earlier. The cover should be oriented so that the overhang is at the front, and the ventilation slots are toward the rear. 8. Verify that the 115/230 VAC switch on the rear panel is set properly. 3

8 R T 2 1 Q U I C K S T A R T G U I D E This switch MUST be set to the choice that is correct for the primary (mains) voltage that will power your RT-21. A small screwdriver may be used to move the switch, if necessary. If the position of the 115/230 VAC switch is moved, check the rear panel fuse for proper value. The fuse is an International Standard GMA 5mm x 20mm type, and should normally be a 3A fuse for 115 VAC line, or a 2.0A fuse for 230 VAC line. 9. Connect the power cord to the rear panel receptacle and set the front panel power switch to ON. You should first see the user vanity message, then the software version number, followed by the operating display RT-21 Software Configuration (Software SETTINGS) This procedure assumes that the SETUP parameters are all at factory default. If you wish to assure this condition, press and hold CANCEL + CCW + CW as described in until the display indicates RESET EE. (Or use SETUP Utility) The correct OPTION for your Rotator must be selected and saved prior to changing any other items in SETUP. Before making this selection, ensure that all hardware jumpers have been made as described above 1. Go into SETUP Mode as follows: Press and hold the SETUP/ITEM button until SETUP appears on the display. Choose the OPTION parameter by repeatedly pressing and releasing the SETUP/ITEM button until the display shows OPTION. 2. Choose the correct OPTION by rotating the heading knob until the New Value = the correct option for your rotor, as defined in the Appendix A., is displayed. POT 2 or 3-wire potentiometer or variable resistor - generic COUNTER Pulse Counter - generic HAMx HAM-X Hy-Gain Rotor with separate wedge brake control T 2 X T 2 X Hy-Gain Rotor with separate wedge brake control* TIC-PST TIC RingRotors or Prosistel ORION M2 Orion rotor, DC motor type with 3960 Pulse/360 degrees SPID Alfa Spid types with 1 pulse/degree YAESU Yaesu DC motor types with 450 degree rotation 3. When the correct option for your Rotor is displayed, save it as follows: Press the CHANGE button to change it. Press the SAVE button to store the change and exit. 1.2 SET THE OFFSET VALUE The offset value is the number of degrees that your counter-clockwise (CCW) endpoint is from true North. It is normally equal to the compass heading of your CCW endpoint. This might be a different value than your CCW mechanical stop if your rotor has wider rotation than 360 degrees. Offset can also be viewed as the desired center-of-rotation (180 ) clockwise from North. 4

9 R T 2 1 Q U I C K S T A R T G U I D E For example: If your center-of-rotation were South (with the CCW endpoint at North) then your offset would be 0. If your center-of-rotation were North (with your CCW endpoint at South) then your offset would be 180 degrees (Default) Configure the desired Offset value 1. Enter SETUP mode Press and hold down the SETUP/ITEM button for 2 seconds Release the SETUP/ITEM button when SETUP appears on the display. 2. Choose the OFFSET parameter Repeatedly press and release the SETUP ITEM button until Offset is displayed o The currently set offset will be displayed after the equals sign (=). o The bottom line on the display will indicate NEW VALUE = XXX. 3. Set the OFFSET parameter for your rotor Rotate the heading knob until the desired OFFSET is displayed after NEW VALUE = on the display. NOTE: For North Center OFFSET = 180 degrees (Default) For South Center OFFSET = 0 degrees Press the CHANGE button to store the New OPTION. Press the SAVE button to save the option and exit the SETUP menu. 1.3 CONNECT THE RT-21 TO YOUR ROTOR R e m o v e p o w e r f r o m t h e u n i t b e f o r e m a k i n g r o t o r c o n n e c t i o n s Connect your Rotor to the rear panel terminal strip of the RT-21 using the chart labeled Rotor Connections in the appendix A for your rotor. The first column of terminal numbers refers to the terminal numbers of the rotor s factory controller or the rotor itself. The terminal numbers under the RT-21 column are the correct RT-21 terminals for the same wire. 1.4 CALIBRATE YOUR ROTOR DO NOT use the Point-and-Shoot knob before your rotor is fully calibrated. Rotors without mechanical limits may be damaged or rotor loops may be exceeded if unintended over-travel occurs. If your rotor does not have mechanical stops at 360 degrees of rotation, insure that you or a helper is positioned to watch antenna travel during calibration Calibrate according to the specific instructions in the Appendix A for your rotor. The heading directions when referred to (North or South) in these procedures assume a North center (the default offset). If you have changed the OFFSET from the default for a South center, then the directions in (parentheses) should be used instead 5

10 F R O N T P A N E L C O N T R O L S & D I S P L A Y Section FRONT PANEL CONTROLS & DISPLAY 2.1 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS The controls on the front of the RT-21 include three push buttons, the heading knob and the power switch as shown in the photo on the front cover of this manual. Each of the push buttons has two labels, one above and one below. The active function of the buttons depends on whether the unit is in Setup or Normal Operation Front Panel Buttons Normal Operation When the RT-21 is in normal operation, the push buttons function using the labels above the buttons. Table 1 summarizes their functions. Button Label CCW CW CANCEL Table 1. Button Functions in Normal Operation Button Function Turns rotor counter-clockwise (## Ramp-down and creep) Turns rotor clockwise (## Ramp-down and creep) In normal operation mode CANCEL can be used in three ways: A tap of the CANCEL button cancels the current rotation event from the front panel heading knob or computer command. Holding the CANCEL button down for 2 seconds places the unit into SETUP. A tap of the CANCEL button toggles in or out of M/C, M/S, or S/C mode to allow a manual operation to be performed. A tap of the CANCEL button will toggle among the three optional alternate OFFSET values when in the optional OFFSET mode. (see Mode=OFFSET) ## tapping the CCW or CW button, while computer or point-and-shoot motion is in progress, will ramp down to Minimum speed but continue to target unless CANCEL is pressed Heading Knob Normal Operation The heading knob on the RT-21 is used to choose a heading for Preset/Point-and- Shoot rotation. The scale is appropriate for either a North or South center-of-rotation. When the knob is moved to the desired heading, the RT-21 begins rotor movement automatically. 6

11 F R O N T P A N E L C O N T R O L S A N D D I S P L A Y NOTE: The scale is a close approximation of the knob position. The exact position is always shown on the front panel digital display Front Panel Buttons Setup Operation When the RT-21 is in Setup, the three push buttons function using the labels below the buttons. Table 2 summarizes their functions. Table 2. Button Functions in Setup Button Label SETUP/ITEM CHANGE SAVE Button Function The SETUP/ITEM button has two functions. Initiate Setup Mode: Press and hold down the button for 2 seconds, release when SETUP appears in the display window. Select the next item in the SETUP menu: Repeatedly press the button until the desired setup item appears on the display. Modify the currently selected item to the value shown in the display window as set by the heading knob. Save changes and exit setup mode Heading Knob Setup Operation When in SETUP, the Heading Knob is used to select desired values on the display Combined Button Functions Additional functions are available when certain combinations of buttons are pushed together. Refer to Table 3 for an explanation of these additional functions. When invoking these functions, lead with the CANCEL slightly ahead of the CW, CCW or both. Button Combination Table 3. Combined Button Functions Function CANCEL+CCW Calibrate CCW at CCW endpoint. (See 4.1) CANCEL+CW Calibrate CW at CW endpoint. (See 4.1) CANCEL+CCW+CW Restores all default values to factory settings. 7

12 F R O N T P A N E L C O N T R O L S A N D D I S P L A Y 2.2 FRONT PANEL DISPLAY The front panel display (Figure 3) is a multi-function, backlit LCD. Figure 3. RT-21 Front Panel Display Table 4. Display Fields and Functions Field Name Valid Values Definition Current Heading Compass heading of antenna in a properly calibrated system. Tenths not displayed for OPTION HAM or T2X Current Speed 1 10 While motor is running, this displays the actual PWM speed to the motor. (1 = 10%.. 10 = 100%) Over-Travel Indicator OT Over-Travel outside of the normal endpoints of 360-degree rotation. (Rotors that allow rotation beyond 360 degrees with wider stops, or no stops at all use this.) Soft Limit < > Rotor has reached the soft limit set in the rotor SETUP. The RT-21 will not allow rotation beyond these points. Direction Direction of current rotation. Right indicates clockwise; left indicates Indicators counter-clockwise. Knob Position Shows exact position of the heading knob. It is used for choosing a precise setting when doing setup commands or in point-and-shoot operation. Operating State MAN Manual Local operation with front panel controls. PRE Preset Displayed when RT-21 has sensed movement of the heading knob and a point-and-shoot operation is in progress. REM Remote Unit being controlled via the RS-232 line from another device. M/S Master/Slave Mode Unit connected to other RT-21 for coordinated operation. M/C Master Counter-Rotate Connected mode S/C unit can compensate for movement from this unit. S/C Slave Counter-Rotate Slave unit is compensating for movement from mode M/C unit, such as on a rotating tower, where a specific antenna must maintain its heading. OF1, OF2 OFFSET MODE When an Alternate OFFSET is being use to display heading of antenna. DBG Debug Limits functionality, used for system troubleshooting. Provides continuous display update, and disables errors conditions. 8

13 S E T U P M O D E Section SETUP MODE The RT-21 rotor controller allows you to program virtually every aspect of your rotor s operation. The controller s SETUP menu is used to set all operating parameters. The first setup task is to select the OPTION parameter. This prepares the controller for the requirements of your rotor system. The correct OPTION for your Rotor must be selected and saved prior to changing any other items in SETUP 3.1 OPTION PARAMETER The OPTION parameter setting provides the correct startup conditions for your system and makes items that pertain to your rotor accessible in the SETUP menu. The RT-21 supports the following OPTION values: POT 2 or 3-wire potentiometer or variable resistor. The POT option uses the potentiometer method of determining the position of the rotor. The RT-21 reads the voltage on the wiper of the potentiometer using a precision A/D converter and displays the result in degrees. COUNTER Pulse Counter The COUNTER option uses the pulse counter method of determining the position of the rotor. A reed or proximity switch generates pulses, which are read and counted by the RT-21. This count is used to calculate the current position of the Rotor in degrees. HAMx HAM-X Hy-Gain Rotor with separate wedge brake control. The RT-21 uses half the potentiometer in these rotors because the wiper is grounded. The software smoothes out the readings during A/D conversion for HAM-style rotors. T2X Tailtwister (T2X) Hy-Gain Rotor with separate wedge brake control. This OPTION is very similar to the HAMx option EXCEPT that it adds automatic motor reversals to help eliminate the inherent brake stick problem in these units. Prior to starting a Point and Shoot or a computer generated motion, the RT-21 will momentarily run the unit in the opposite of the intended direction to relieve any back tension on the BRAKE in order to help it release properly. Also, the RT-21 will try to prevent the T2X rotor from going all the way to the end stop so that the limit switch won t disable this reversal. 9

14 S E T U P M O D E TIC-PST TIC RingRotor or Prosistel This OPTION is the same as the POT option EXCEPT that it adds an additional safety mechanism to prevent these rotors from running beyond their pot limits and causing motor damage. These rotors have no mechanical limiting switches and their POT arrangement is such that they never need to run near either end of the POT. The RT-21 limits the operation of these rotors to the middle 88% of the POT range and will display a POT OUT-OF-RANGE error if it gets near either end. This error can be overridden by using MODE = DEBUG. ORION M2 Orion (Pulse System units) This OPTION is the same as the COUNTER option EXCEPT that it sets the Pulse Divider HI and LO to the correct 3960 value automatically. Also sets the Soft Limits to +/- 14 degrees of over-travel that this unit allows. SPID Alfa Spid Rotors This OPTION is the same as the COUNTER option EXCEPT that it sets the Pulse Divider HI and LO to the correct 360 value automatically. YAESU YAESU Rotors (most models) This OPTION is the same as the POT option EXCEPT that it sets the Soft Limits to allow the 90 degrees of over-travel that these rotators allow. Cal values for most installations are also inserted so that additional calibration may not be requried. To setup the OPTION parameter, perform the following steps: 1. Enter SETUP mode Press and hold down the SETUP/ITEM button for 2 seconds Release the SETUP/ITEM button when SETUP appears on the display. 2. Choose the OPTION parameter Repeatedly press and release the SETUP ITEM button until SETUP-OPTION = is displayed o The currently set option will be displayed after the equals sign (=). o The bottom line on the display will indicate NEW VALUE = XXX. 3. Set the OPTION parameter for your rotor Rotate the heading knob until the desired OPTION is displayed after NEW VALUE = on the display. Press the CHANGE button to store the New OPTION. Press the SAVE button to save the option and exit the SETUP menu. 3.2 SETTING OTHER PARAMETERS This same sequence that was used to set up the OPTION parameter is used to modify any setup parameter (SELECT, CHANGE, SAVE). It is important to remember that if you change an OPTION parameter, you must SAVE and reenter the SETUP menu to make any other changes TIP: Some menu items can change calculations and affect related options, so it s a good idea to only change one item at a time until you become familiar with the RT-21. For 10

15 S E T U P M O D E example, changing the CTR divide ratios will change the CALIBRATE, the OFFSET will change the SOFT LIMITS to match, etc SETUP ITEMS This section provides a detailed description of the options available in the SETUP menu. The parentheses () indicate the option setting(s) under which the item is available. CALIBRATE (COUNTER, ORION, SPID) This item calibrates the directional display to the physical direction of your antenna. OFFSET (ALL) Sets the CCW endpoint for your system in degrees clockwise from true North. The default setting is 180. This means that the default stops are at South with a North center-of-travel. To set a South center, you would set the OFFSET to 0. This setting also affects the soft limits within the RT-21 and repositions them automatically if you change the OFFSET value. You may have both South center and North center antennas on the same mast and rotor. For example, you may wish to put a VHF antenna on South center and HF antenna on North center. You can select which center-ofrotation is to be used by simply changing the OFFSET. The OFFSET is also useful in a POT system to compensate for mast slippage as a temporary measure until you can re-align correctly. Mobile rover stations can use the OFFSET feature as well. Simply enter the amount of offset depending on how far off your vehicle is parked from a North heading. DELAYS (ALL) This sets the delay times enforced by the RT-21 before allowing a reversal in motor direction, or before the brake engaged. This delay setting is adjustable in 1 second increments up to a maximum of 6 seconds. MIN SPEED (ALL) This sets the minimum speed that that is used for starting and stopping the motor as it ramps up and/or down, 1 to 10 where 1 is 10% 10 is 100%.. The MIN SPEED setting has no effect when ramps are not used (Max Speed = 11). Generally, this is set to the slowest speed that allows your rotor to turn reliably, typically 2 or 3 for DC motors. See the NOTE on AC Motors later in this section. MAX SPEED (ALL) This selects the motor speed, 1 to 10 where 1 is 10% 10 is 100%. For speeds within 1 to 10, ramp-up and ramp-down power is applied to the Rotor. This reduces tower stress on large arrays. An Additional Speed of AC MOTOR can be selected for rotors that use them. AC MOTOR selection changes the Speed Controls to a lower PWM frequency more appropriate for AC motors and forces the MAX SPEED to 10. CCW LIMIT (ALL) Selects the absolute heading for the CCW soft limit. The soft limit may be set +/- 180 degrees from the normal CCW endpoint. (Normal endpoints apply to systems that allow 360 degrees of rotation with mechanical stops.) CW LIMIT (ALL) Selects the absolute heading for the CW soft limit. The soft limit may be set +/- 180 degrees from the normal CW endpoint. (Normal endpoints apply to systems that allow 360 degrees of rotation with mechanical stops.) 11

16 S E T U P M O D E OPTION (ALL) Selects the rotor type. Described earlier in this section. DIVIDE HI (COUNTER, ORION, SPID) Selects the first two digits (high order) of the pulse divider. The divider number is equal to the number of pulses in a 360- degree rotation. For example, if your rotor provides 1785 pulses in 360 degrees, the DIVIDED HI value is set to 17. DIVIDE LO (COUNTER, ORION, SPID) Selects the last two digits (low order) of the pulse divider. The divider number is equal to the number of pulses in a 360- degree rotation. For example, if your rotor provides 1785 pulses in 360 degrees, the DIVIDE LO value is set to 85. (Always set the DIVIDE HI first, then the DIVIDE LO.) NOTE: The divide ratio may be set as high as 50,000 (23,000 prior to firmware 1.06) in order to support high accuracy, high ratio custom systems. If the ratio must be set higher than 9999 (HI > 99) then the SETUP UTILITY must be used to set the Divide Ratio value instead of the front panel SETUP Mode CAL RANGE (removed in 3.08) (POT, HAM, T2X, TIC-PST) This is the degree range that the potentiometer calibrate routines will assume for the distance traveled between the CCW and CW calibration points. This value defaults to 360 degrees and should not be changed unless you cannot rotate your antenna full 360 degrees in order to perform the potentiometer calibration. (A sidearm application on a tower may be one example of this.) You can calibrate the rotor prior to physical installation, or use the CAL RANGE to set this parameter. Refer to Section 5 Advanced Features for a detailed sidearm calibration procedure. KNOB TIME (3.08) (ALL) Adjusts the amount of time that the RT-21 reacts to a Point and Shoot Knob turn. From the time the knob stops, until it locks in the heading and starts rotation is adjustable in 50 ms increments between 1 and 80. Default is 40 (about 2 seconds MODE (ALL) Selects the operating mode of the RT-21 controller. NORMAL Mode NORMAL mode allows manual control, point-and-shoot and computer control via one of the rear panel communication ports. M/S Master/Slave Mode, where multiple RT-21 controllers are linked together. o Usage and Examples: Master/Slave mode allows one RT-21 to control other RT-21 controllers via the EIA-232 port. This allows movement of multiple rotors and antennas to the same heading without having to set each one individually. The M/S MODE is intended for use in controlling stacks of HF monobanders or tribanders that are on different rotors (or even different rotor types). It allows the operator to turn the entire stack together or quickly separate them for individual rotation. When you set the MODE to M/S, you may quickly disable or enable the M/S mode by pressing the CANCEL button. 12

17 S E T U P M O D E o Functionality If you only have a stack of two antennas, each with its own rotor, either controller may be used to turn the pair. If you have three or more antennas on different rotors, then one of the controllers must be designated as the Master. The controller designated as the Master is the only one that will turn all of the antennas. The other controllers will only turn the antennas they are directly connected to. Refer to Section 5 Advanced Features for more detail on M/S operation and EIA-232 connections. M/C Master/Counter-Rotate Mode o Usage and Examples Master/Counter-Rotate Mode is used for the bottom rotor (or tower) in a system where two rotors are used in series along the same mast. Examples of this are a rotor at the top of a rotating tower, or two rotating joints on the same structure (or rotating rings mounted on a rotating tower). o Functionality M/C mode sends the heading data to other RT-21s that control the upper rotor(s) so that it may calculate the heading for the antennas above. S/C Slave/Counter-Rotate Mode o Usage and Examples S/C mode is used for the slave rotor(s) as described in M/C. It reads the data from the M/C unit and maintains the heading for the upper antennas while the bottom is moving. The S/C controller in a properly implemented system allows complete independent operation of the slave antennas from the ones fixed to the rotating tower. OFFSET Alternate OFFSET Mode. (See Section 5.9 for details DEBUG Debug Mode (see section 5.6 for details) RAMP (ALL) Adjusts the variable ramping, (0-9) of the speed control features of the controller. 0 = shortest, 9 = longest ramp. Generally, the larger your system, the longer ramp up and down you will want to use. Default is 3. In firmware version 1.06 and later, setting MAX SPEED = 11, signifying full speed, no ramping, then the RAMP setting shuts down the motor early by RAMP x 2 degrees. This is to allow adjustment of overshoot in systems that use relay control or other non-ramp down applications. BRIGHT (ALL) Adjusts the variable brightness of the LCD display 1 to 10. (1 to 4 for the VFD used in the D models). The display auto-dims somewhat after a short time of no display updates. 13

18 C A L I B R A T I O N Section CALIBRATION Use the CCW and CW buttons to turn your ant ennas during calibration steps. DO NOT use the Point-and-Shoot knob before your rotor is fully calibrated. Rotors without mechanical limits may be damaged or rotor loops may be exceeded if unintended over-travel occurs. NOTE: These are generic procedures for calibration and are indicative of the process required in order to calibrate either a Potentiometer type system, or a Pulse Count system. You either do 4.1 or 4.2 depending on your rotor OPTION type. Specific instructions, for each documented rotor type, are in the Appendix A for each rotor. 4.1 POTENTIOMETER SYSTEMS (TIC, Hamx, Yaesu, Prosistel, Yaesu, etc) It is recommended to begin with the default calibration settings in the controller. You can restore these if necessary with the RESET EE PROM command, (CANCEL + CCW + CW buttons). Always use the RESET EE PROM command when connecting the RT-21 to a new rotor type Perform the following steps to properly calibrate the RT Use the CCW button to turn the rotor in order to define the normal (non-overtravel) CCW limit. If your rotor has 360-degree stops, turn the rotor CCW to the mechanical stop. If your rotor DOES NOT have 360-degree stops o If the OFFSET is at 0, turn CCW to visual due north. o If the OFFSET is at 180. turn CCW to visual due South. 2. Press CANCEL and CCW simultaneously and hold until CCW CAL is displayed. This sets the CCW Endpoint 3. Use the CW button to turn the rotor in order to define the normal (non-over-travel) CW limit. 14

19 C A L I B R A T I O N If your rotor has 360-degree stops, turn the rotor CW to the mechanical stop. If your rotor DOES NOT have 360-degree stops o Use the CW button to turn the rotor exactly 360 degrees until the antennas are positioned back in the same visual direction as in Step 1 above. This is the CW endpoint. 4. Press CANCEL and CW simultaneously and hold until CW CAL is displayed. The numbers displayed are the results of the analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion of the voltage read on the potentiometer. They will vary depending on the amount of travel the indicator potentiometer actually moves, but the CCW value should be fairly low and the CW value should be significantly higher. The larger the difference between the two numbers, the higher the resolution of the heading display will be. A system that only uses 2 turns of a 10- turn pot will not have nearly the resolution of one that uses 8 or 9 turns of the same pot. The accuracy and resolution of the RT-21 controller depends entirely on the amount of change of this A/D reading and the linearity of the potentiometer used. The maximum resolution is about 1/3 degree with this option. 4.2 PULSE COUNTER SYSTEMS (Orion, SPID) Ensure that the correct divider value is set with DIVIDE HI and DIVIDE LOW based on the number of pulses in a 360-degree rotation. Simply turn your antenna to a known direction visually, and then set the OFFSET value to yield the desired end or center-of-rotation headings. Finally, set the CALIBRATE value to the same heading as the antennas are physically pointed. NOTE: The RT-21 cannot adjust the actual position of your antenna in relation to the physical endstops OR in relation to your coax rotor loops as installed. 15

20 O P E R A T I N G H I N T S & A D V A N C E D F E A T U R E S Section OPERATING HINTS & ADVANCED FEATURES 5.1 OPERATING HINTS A review of the Operating Hints below will help you get the most out of your RT-21 and resolve minor difficulties that may be encountered. In addition, Green Heron Engineering is available to assist with any questions you may have about your controller. Use the contact information at the front of this manual to reach us. 1. The voltage taps listed in the configuration charts (Appendix A) are normal settings for short-to-moderate cable runs. If you find that your rotor turns more slowly than usual, or the ramp-down function does not operate correctly, try using the next higher voltage tap on the transformer (i.e., use violet wire instead of orange). Any two wires may be used to connect to J9. e.g. If you connect the Yellow to term 3 and the Orange to term 4, you will get approximately 14 VDC for the motor. The transformer voltage taps are approximately 0, 18, 28, and 38 VAC. 2. Some rotors work better under pulse width-modulated (PWM) speed control than others. In general, DC motors operate better than AC motors in this regard. Also, lightly loaded rotors and heavily loaded rotors behave differently as they are ramped down. Experimentation may be needed with the speed controls, ramp setting and voltage setting to optimize your system. We run the PWM frequency at 1.2 KHz for DC motors, and much lower when the Max Speed is set to AC MOTOR. 3. When evaluated with the RT-21, HAMx and T 2 X rotors exhibited the least effective speed control. For these rotors, we recommend setting the RT-21 to MINSPEED= 10 to eliminate the PWM control. Factory settings for all AC motor rotators uses this setting. 4. We recommend that the RT-21 soft limits be set to values that will prevent your rotor from turning into (or possibly through) its mechanical limits. Setting the soft limits to 5 degrees early is a good practice and will help avoid this problem. The OPTION = T2X setting does this for you to ensure there is room to reverse the motor prior to running in the correct direction. 5. Rotors without mechanical limits must depend entirely on the controller to prevent rotation beyond the desired range and to prevent damage to your coax and/or potentiometer. The RT-21 incorporates many safety features to protect from unintentional over-travel and possible damage to rotor loops or internal pot breakage. TIC-Ring, Pro.sis.tel, and Alfa Spid rotators do not incorporate mechanical limit switches. A little extra caution is urged until you ve successfully calibrated and tested the system. Call us if you have any questions. 16

21 O P E R A T I N G H I N T S & A D V A N C E D F E A T U R E S 6. Your RT-21 comes set for your rotor type from the factory. (if we know it) If not, the factory defaults are for a 36 VDC motor (mid-voltage) and a potentiometerpositioning indicator system. The offset value is 180, which needs a CCW & CW endpoint of South, and a North center-of-rotation. You can return to these default settings at any time by pressing the CANCEL, CW, and CCW buttons at the same time and holding until the unit resets. 7. The RT-21 is protected by a fuse on the rear panel. If the controller shows no sign of power, the fuse may be blown. The fuse is an International Standard GMA 5mm x 20mm type, and should be replaced with a 3A fuse for 115 VAC operation, or a 2A fuse for 230 VAC operation. Replacement fuses are available at most electronics parts distributors, including Radio Shack. 5.2 COMPUTER CONTROL OF RT-21 The RT-21 is equipped with a fully operational RS-232 port and a USB B connection. Virtually all programs that support rotor control via a COM port can be used with the RT-21 on either port. The RT-21 USB port implements the standard COM port emulation that works with standard Windows drivers. See for installation instructions. The protocol implemented in the RT-21 is based on the Hy-Gain DCU-1 protocol and runs at N1 using a straight through serial cable with at least pins 2-2, 3-3 and 5-5 wired. It reports headings and turns to headings with the same commands implemented in DCU-1. Set your software to use DCU-1 protocol at N1 if your program does not have a Green Heron setting. Many additional commands are provided for the advanced features that only your RT-21 can perform. These include the ability to computer track to 1/10 th degree using GH Tracker, or operate your controller as part of an IP network using GH Everyware software from Green Heron You cannot use the USB to interconnect RT-21s for the purpose of Master/Slave, or Counter-rotate functions. NOTE: The EIA-232 Port (db-9) MUST be used for interconnection to other RT-20, or RT-21 controllers AND for loading new software updates from Green Heron. (RT- 21 v3 allows USB software updates, see page iii) USB INSTALLATION (Prior to Rt-21v3 ONLY) NOTE: The RT-21 requires a driver settings file (INF) file to be installed on your system. When your system first sees an RT-21 connected to a USB port on your computer, the New Hardware Wizard will appear. Although the exact procedure will vary depending on your operating system, Windows will ask you for the location of the Driver for an RT-21 controller. You browse to the driver info file, RT21usb0.inf, and then install the driver. You may ignore the digital signature error if you get one. RT-21 v3 uses drivers that are standard on most versions of windows. Do not browse for the inf file described above. USB installation is typically completely automatic on v3 units. See page iii for more info. 5.3 CALIBRATION OF SIDEARM INSTALLATION 17

22 O P E R A T I N G H I N T S & A D V A N C E D F E A T U R E S If your rotor uses a COUNTER position type indicator, sidearm calibration is easy. Simply calibrate as specified earlier, and set the soft limits to ensure that your antenna does not turn far enough to hit the tower. If your rotor uses a POT or is a HAM/T2X type indicator, the calibration is slightly more involved, as the antenna cannot be turned through a complete 360 degrees in order to set the A/D values. Although it can be done while maintaining OFFSET at a nominal 0 or 180 degrees, we suggest you start with the method below: 1. Using SETUP menu, change the value of CAL RANGE to 180. (Allowable options are 90, 180, 270, and 360.) 2. Turn the rotor CCW to the most CCW heading you want to allow, keeping in mind that the antenna must not be allowed to strike the tower. 3. Perform the CCW Calibration by pressing the CANCEL + CCW buttons. 4. Turn the antenna CW until it is visually 180 degrees from the position noted in Step 2 (or to CAL RANGE setting). Perform the CW Calibration by pressing the CANCEL + CW buttons. 5. Turn the antenna to a known heading visually and subtract this real heading from the indicated heading on the display. Set the OFFSET value to this difference. 6. Set the soft limits to values that prevent the antenna from striking the tower. NOTE: For new installations you could calibrate before you mount the antenna, or calibrate the rotor on the ground, then mechanically set the antenna to match a 0 or 180 degree OFFSET. In any event, you must make sure the mechanical stops of the rotor are outside the intended range of rotation. 5.4 MASTER/SLAVE (M/S) MODE M/S mode allows multiple antennas to be rotated as if they were on the same mast, even if in fact they are on separate towers, masts or rotor types. Primarily intended for stacked arrays of similar antennas, this mode could be useful in other ways. One might be the VHF operator with antennas for different bands on different rotors or towers. You could turn the SHF array to a desired heading as you work a distant station on the lower bands on a different tower. A controller in the M/S mode sends commands to other controllers using the EIA-232 port. Controllers in NRM mode or M/S mode will read these commands and turn their motors to match. If you wish to momentarily disable the commands from being sent from the Master unit, simply press the CANCEL button and the MODE will change to MAN on the display. Pressing CANCEL again will return to M/S mode. An M/S unit will send commands for point-and-shoot and computer-generated events, but not for manual button presses. If you have only two controllers, both units may be set to M/S and then either one will turn the stack, unless momentarily disabled with CANCEL. With three or more rotors in the stack, only one unit may be designated as M/S. In addition, computer control may still be used on the stack. The computer must be connected to the unit that will be the M/S mode unit, if a computer is used with a two-unit setup, then only one RT-21 (the one connected to the computer) can be the Master unit. A computer port may be directly connected to any or all unit in a stack if the USB port is used. In this case, only the Master unit s connected port will send the stack to a heading, while Slave unit s connected port will only act on that Slave. 18

23 O P E R A T I N G H I N T S & A D V A N C E D F E A T U R E S INTERCONNECTIONS: 1. For two controllers without a computer interface Connect the two units together with a DB-9 null modem cable. The only pins needed are 2-3, 3-2, and For connection with a computer and two or more RT-21 units, proceed as follows: (IF USB port is used with the Master, than the Computer part of the cable on the right side of the drawing isn t used. Cable the units as shown in Figure 4. Note that only two wires are needed on units set to MODE NORMAL. Pre-made cables are available from Green Heron Engineering. Check our website for details. Figure 4. Master/Slave (M/S) Interconnect (For multiple RT-21/20s connected together) 5.5 M/C and S/C MODES These modes are used to configure a counter-rotating scheme where one rotor is mounted above another as you might wish to do with a rotating tower. In this case, the tower turns the antennas that are fixed to it, and a separate rotor turns a mast above the tower. This could allow separate or slaved operation of stacked antennas, or separate control of two independent antenna systems. In this configuration, the lower rotor controller is set to MODE M/C while the upper controller is set to S/C (Master and Slave Counter-Rotation). The cabling is the same as you would use for the M/S two-rotor scheme, with or without a computer. The computer can only control the lower Rotor in this configuration. The S/C unit always seeks the heading set with the point-and-shoot knob on the front panel. All S/C units attempt to hold headings as set with the Heading Knob. Although units will respond to the CW and CCW buttons, the next rotation of the master unit will cause a return to the knob position. The lower unit will turn as commanded, either manually, point-and-shoot, or by software command, and the upper unit will compensate and hold the desired, indicated heading by 19